88 Accessible Edinburgh: A Festival Guide Eating 89
up spectacular shellfish platters (£40, enough for two people)
of fresh oysters, mussels, scallops, clams, cockles, crab, lobster
and langoustines, as well as sustainably fished or farmed salm-
on, prawns, cod, halibut and haddock.
There’s a car park at the back of the restaurant that is free
and is accessed via Newhaven Place. There are cobbles to get
to the ramp. There is another ramp at the side of the building,
which you would use if you were approaching from the main road
along the coast (A901). The most recent review lauded the auto-
matic doors, which must have been recently fitted after an early
reviewer struggled with the heavy doors. Staff will reserve a table
with plenty of space around it if you warn them there’s a wheel-
chair user in the party. Toilets are spacious and clean.
Martin Wishart
0131-553 3557; http://www.restaurantmartinwishart.co.uk; 54 The
Shore; 3-course lunch/dinner £29/75; noon-2pm & 7-10pm
Tue-Fri, noon-1.30pm & 7-10pm Sat; buses 16, 22, 35, 36
In 2001 this restaurant became the first in Edinburgh to win a
Michelin star, and has retained it ever since. The eponymous chef
has worked with Albert Roux, Marco Pierre White and Nick Nairn,
and brings a modern French approach to the best Scottish pro-
duce, from langoustines with kohlrabi, vanilla and passionfruit to
a six-course vegetarian tasting menu.
There are a couple of accessible parking bays and on-street
parking available on streets nearby. There is step-free access from
street, but the vestibule area at the door is narrow and might be
difficult to manage if in a larger wheelchair. The restaurant itself
has enough room to manoeuvre without disrupting other custom-
ers and the tables are set at good height for power chairs.
The accessible toilet lets the restaurant down: there is very
little floor space, making it difficult to close the door once inside.
Grab rails are available, but are rendered pretty much useless by
the lack of space to transfer. Since the restaurant uses seasonal
ingredients, the menu changes regularly, but management say
that they would be happy to arrange a menu in a larger font if
requested.
Royal Deck Tea Room
mains £5-13; 10am-4.30pm Apr-Oct, 10.30am-4pm Nov-Mar;
buses 11, 22, 34, 35, 36
The Royal Yacht Britannia’s sun deck (now enclosed in glass)
makes a stunning setting for the Royal Deck Tea Room, where
you can enjoy coffee and cake, or even a bottle of champagne,
with a view across the Firth of Forth to the hills of Fife. See the
main review (p50) for details of accessibility. Note that the Tea
Room is not suitable for large or heavy wheelchairs.Shore
0131-553 5080; http://www.fishersrestaurants.co.uk; 3-4 The Shore;
mains £12-26; noon-10.30pm Mon-Sat, 12.30-10.30pm Sun;
buses 16, 22, 35, 36The atmospheric dining room in this popular Shore pub is a hav-
en of wood-panelled peace, with old photographs, nautical knick-
knacks, fresh flowers and an open fire adding to the romantic
theme. The menu changes regularly and specialises in fresh
Scottish seafood, beef, pork and game.
Management assures us that they have numerous wheelchair-
using visitors, despite the small step in from the street and
right-angle turn into the bar (large power wheelchair users may
struggle; scooters won’t get in). Once inside, access is level, but
the toilet is not very accessible as it is small with narrow doors.New Town
You can barely walk 20 paces along a New Town street without
passing a place to eat. The cobbled lanes of Rose St and Thistle
St between the elegant Georgian terraces to the north of Princes
St are crammed with stylish restaurants offering a wide range of
cuisines. The abundance of office workers means that there are
lots of weekday lunch specials to look out for too.Bon Vivant
0131-225 3275; http://bonvivantedinburgh.co.uk/; 55 Thistle St;
mains £9-15; noon-1pm; buses 23, 27Candlelight reflected in the warm glow of polished wood makes
for an intimate atmosphere in this New Town favourite. The food
is superb value for this part of town, offering a range of tapas-
style ‘bites’ as well as normal main courses, with a changing
menu of seasonal and locally sourced dishes such as tempura of
cod with chorizo, puy lentils and garlic cream. It’s listed as wheel-
chair-accessible on Yelp, but we have no first-hand testimonial.Café Marlayne
0131-226 2230; http://www.cafemarlayne.com; 76 Thistle St; mains
lunch £8-10, dinner £15-18; noon-10pm; buses 24, 29, 42